Facing Job Termination After Maternity Leave Request: What Are My Next Steps?

I worked as a Manager of Accounts in a Private Limited Company from July 2006 to September 2017. In July 2017, I applied for maternity leave. Initially, they mentioned that I could work from home. However, in mid-September, they informed me that working from home was not feasible. Instead, they needed to hire someone to replace me, and they mentioned the possibility of rehiring me after six months once the new person settled in. Essentially, they terminated my employment abruptly. I left the company on September 30, 2017, as previously planned. They did not provide any maternity leave salary or gratuity.

Please advise on what steps I should take.

Steps to Address Employment Termination and Unpaid Benefits

Please send them a legally drafted letter signed by you, drawing attention to the sequence of events and asking for payment. Take the help of a lawyer to draft the letter.

Send the letter by Speed Post so that official acknowledgment is available.

Actions if No Response is Received

In case they fail to respond, approach the Labor Officer of the area with your complaint. You can produce your letter, previous requests, and details of leave applied for, submission of medical documents, etc.

I am sure the Labor Officer will intervene and sort out the matter officially.